The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-12-16
THE ROAD FROM JERUSALEM TO
JERICHO.

a certain man went down from Jerusalem
TO Jericho, and fell among thieves. which
stripped him, etc.-l.uke x: 30-37.
The scene of the parable of ''the
good Samaritan is laid on the
road from Jerusalem to Jericho; and
for the deed of violence and blood
which it describes, no more suitable scene
could have been found in all the land and
the Typographical illusions in this beauti-
full narrative offer clear evidence that its
author was familiar with the country, and
had himself travelled the road and marked
the peculiar features of the scene of which
he has given SO correct and vivid picture.
The unfortunate traveller, is is said, "went
down. from Jerusalem to Jericho; the for
mer city on the high central ridge of the
country, the latter in the deep Jordan val
ley, more than 5000 feet below; we see
hence how strictly accurate the description
Of the parable is. The road from imme-
diately beyond Bethany lay through "a
wilderness as bare and as solitary as the
Desert of Arabia" and for part of its
course through a deep and tremendous
gorge, dismal and desolate to the last de-
gree.
Bucking ham, in his 1facels speaking of
this portion of the road, says: ''The very
aspect of the scenery, the bold projecting
crags of rocks, the dark shadows in which
every thing lay buried below, the towering
height of the cliffs above, and the forbid
ding desolation which everywhere reigned
around, seemed to tempt to robbery and
murder, and occasion a dread of it in those
who pass that way" And Stanley, de-
scribing this locality, says: ''the caves in
the oyerhangiDg mountains, the sharp
turns of the road, the projecting spurs of
the rocks, everywhere facilitate the attack
and escape of the pluuderers.'' Here they
seize upon the travellers, and rifle him OF
everything valuable about him, and then
leave him bleeding and naked under the
fierce heat reflected from the white, glaring
mountains, to die, unless perchance a
passer-by pity and save him. 4 certain
man aoent doacn from, Jerusalem TO Jericho,
and fell among tAseues, aczicA stripped linn Of
lis raiment, and lc0unded him, and
departed, zearing him halt dead. This
touching description, while thus in perfect
keeping with the features of the scene, is
also in entire harmony with its whole his
tory. Josephus testfies that not only was
Judca at this time oyerrun with robbers
| and Iuffians, who committed the greatest
excuses, but that this road in particular
was deplorably harrassed by banditti. st.
Jerome also mentions that this particular
part of the road between Jerusalem and
Jericho was called the "Red Way" as
much blood had there been shed by the rob-
bers; and that in his time, there was at
one point il this wilderness fort, with a
Roman garrison, for the protection OF
travellers; SO that the incident of the poor
traveller in the parable falling in that very
journey among robbers seems taken from
life. And this dread locality is the resort
of robbers to this day, and nowhere in
Palestine is guard more necessary; he
who goes down from Jerusalem to Jericho
without an escort is as liable now as ever
to fall among thieves. The parable, in
deed, has been enacted i'll our own day,
not Jew, but an Englishman, being the
victim ON this ccasion.--Udrmontes Of the
Unigerse.